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2 The mission A nation that has prospered from its endowment of natural resources must now harness the most important resource of all: its intellectual property. To compete globally, Canada urgently needs to take a new approach to IP, devising a strategy that is anchored by a robust innovation framework and embedded both in the country s domestic policy and in its international trade agenda.

3 Contents President s Message 3 Foreword 4 Introduction 6 01 Why Canada Needs a Plan (Now) 10 The escalating demands of the information age demand rapid action from a country that can t risk another miscue like Nortel. 02 The Great Patent Explosion 18 Nations are striving to produce intellectual property needed to fuel the global innovation race, but Canada s supply is running low. 03 Weapons of Mass Litigation 28 Ignorance of IP strategy is no defence, especially now that the battleground is so treacherous and littered with trolls. 04 A Nation Bleeding Ingenuity 36 What to do to slow the exodus of homegrown IP: Money talks and Canada must speak up. 05 Hidden Gold in Canada s Natural Resources 46 Modern science is adding value to forestry, mining and agriculture, but Canada s competitors are reaping most of the benefits. 06 The Trouble with Technology Transfer 54 How a country that lets so much of its IP get away still permits much of what s left to wallow in obscurity. 07 The Big Challenge for Small Business 64 IP-laden start-ups must, like boy scouts, be prepared or the pitfalls that lay ahead will be their downfall. 08 Sharing the Benefits and the Burden 72 Going it alone is growing so costly and cumbersome that entire sectors are banding together to ensure they live long and prosper. 09 Fast Track: China s Haste to Lead 82 The world s factory is doing all it can to raise the innovation stakes and become the master of more than just mass production. 10 Executive Summary and Action Plan 92 A synopsis of the IP problem and a 10-point program for putting Canada on the path to a solution. Acknowledgements 96 1

4 the goal To examine Canada s IP regime in light of the highly competitive international context, and with an eye to national strategies for innovation and increased productivity. 2

5 President s Message The Canadian International Council (CIC) is dedicated to strengthening Canada's role in global affairs and believes that foreign policy, rather than being an esoteric concern of experts, directly affects the lives and prosperity of all citizens. Through its deep historical roots, its 16 branches across the country and its active research program, the council advances debate on a wide range of issues. Last fall the CIC s board of directors observed that, while Canada has devoted considerable attention to such issues as competitiveness, productivity and innovation, the role of intellectual property (IP) in a national innovation strategy has yet to receive similar scrutiny. In today s global economic context, IP requires careful consideration that is mindful of approaches being taken by other countries. Investment in and strategic management of human creativity and intellectual resources and products are the route to our future, and our future prosperity. The world s ability to grow crops more efficiently under tougher climate and soil circumstances, provide clean water to rich and poor alike, and unlock new renewable energy sources depends on its ability to acquire knowledge and develop increasingly sophisticated technology. This requires wise and strategic management of its intellectual property. To this end, the CIC decided to examine Canada's IP regime in light of the highly competitive international context, and with an eye to national strategies for innovation and increased productivity. This report and its recommendations are the result. Although IP consists of several components, patents are central and the focus of this study. The law governs how to reward inventors and how to disseminate their ideas so that others, and society as a whole, may benefit. That may sound straightforward, but it is highly complex, legally and in terms of international application, especially when it comes to how companies manage IP and trade in it. Many people argue that the complexity has become excessive, and call for reform of the systems now in place. Valid as their views may be, this report does not enter into that debate. We take the world as it is and discuss ways in which Canada can deal more effectively with this critical piece of the innovation and competitiveness challenge. Jennifer A. Jeffs, Ph.D. President Canadian International Council 3

6 Rights AND Rents Why Canada must harness its intellectual property resources Foreword Knowledge is the bedrock of the modern economy, and an effective mechanism for capturing its value intellectual property is an essential ingredient of prosperity. Many countries are starting to develop policies on IP and incorporate them into strategies for fostering the innovation they hope will bolster their international competitiveness. Canada is rich in resources that are most often shipped abroad. But as we move to embrace a knowledge-based economy, we must take care that our national inclination to package what we produce for export does not extend automatically to our intellectual property. It stands to reason that, if Canadians are to continue to make a meaningful contribution in the world, they must retain control of an appreciable portion of the IP they generate. The question is how best to go about it. In search of answers, we canvassed specialists at the World Trade Organization, the World Intellectual Property Organization, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and various national IP offices in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Focusing on patents, we then convened a workshop in Ottawa with a group of advisors both from Canada and abroad to debate the relative merits of IP policies and practices around the world, and to identify key themes the CIC should address. The next step was to determine what capacity IP plays within Canada s economic sectors. We wanted to look beyond the information-technology and pharmaceutical industries which always factor in IP discussions and address sectors often overlooked, such as oil and gas, agriculture, renewable energy and medical technology. The goal was to determine how Canadian IP policies measure up against those of other industrial nations, including China, which is emerging as an IP giant. Given the complexity of the subject, reaching that goal required a methodical approach. We began by identifying the major issues facing Canada and the factors that have brought them about, in each instance choosing a case in point to illustrate the impact and spelling out what lesson can be learned. Then, because so many countries find themselves trying to solve similar problems, we explored approaches being taken elsewhere, and selected a role model that may show Canada the way. The result, nine months later, is this report and its proposals on how to create both a truly national approach to IP and a fitting role for Canada in the international IP regime now taking shape so rapidly. Jennifer A. Jeffs, Ph.D. Project Co-director President Canadian International Council Karen Mazurkewich Project Co-director Author of the Report 4

7 Call to action It stands to reason that, if Canadians are to assume their rightful place in the world, they must retain control of an appreciable portion of the intellectual property they generate. The question is how best to go about it. 5

8 Rights AND Rents Why Canada must harness its intellectual property resources Introduction Intellectual property (IP) runs the gamut from patents and industrial designs to copyright, trademarks and artistic creation an umbrella that covers scientists and composers alike. Canadian icons from Frederick Banting, who won a Nobel Prize in 1923 for the discovery of insulin, to the current hip-hop artist Drake have grappled with IP ownership. Being a nation of innovators, Canada produces IP in abundance. However, we can be laggards when it comes to ensuring that we are the ones who benefit from it. Canadians still feel a special sense of ownership when it comes to natural resources. Whenever outsiders train their sights on a forestry firm, a piece of the Alberta oil patch or Saskatchewan s potash producer, many Canadians raise a hue and cry. But when it comes to IP the output of the modern information economy Canadians are much less vigilant, even if that is now the resource they can least afford to lose. The creativity and ingenuity that are critical to invention have not been recognized as valuable commodities. It is neglect that has been underway for more than a century. American Thomas Edison is credited with having invented the light bulb when, in fact, that honour should belong to two Canadians who sold him the patent a form of IP when they could not afford to market it. A century later, Canadians were instrumental in the development of canola, but the significance of their contribution has faded rapidly. Ottawa s reticence to provide patent protection to biotechnology in the 1980s led to a California lab patenting the process for altering the plant s genetic code. Now, all Canadians who grow genetically modified canola must pay royalties to a foreign multinational. Our research reveals that 58% of all Canadian enterprises backed by venture capital that changed hands between 2006 and 2010 wound up under foreign control. This loss of no fewer than 79 promising companies has hardly been noticed. The public has grown so accustomed to seeing control of Canadian start-ups go abroad that it now seems like fate. If so, fate is playing a cruel trick. When ownership of a resource company leaves, the resource itself remains, with Canadians still required to harvest it. But knowledge is a perfectly portable commodity. When new owners choose to move it across the border, any employment associated with it is bound to follow. Unless nurtured at home, our big ideas are destined to generate profits for others. In the future, the wealth of nations will be determined more by intellectual production than by resource extraction. 6

9 Introduction Canada s IP shortfall The past two decades have seen a dramatic rise in international licensing of patents, according to the World Bank, with fee payments rising from $30 billion in 1990 to $160 billion in That year, however, Canada s negative net balance was a remarkable $4.5 billion. ROYALTY AND LICENSE FEES 2009* $ billions U.S. UNITED STATES JAPAN FRANCE UNITED KINGDOM SWEDEN NETHERLANDS PARAGUAY TUNISIA KENYA ARGENTINA THAILAND RUSSIAN FEDERATION CANADA SINGAPORE CHINA $4.5 billion U.S. Canada s 2009 total net loss in tech transfer payments. IRELAND $40 $30 $20 $10 $0 $10 $20 $30 $40 $50 $60 $70 * Royalty and license fees are payments for the use of protected assets, such as patents, copyrights, trademarks, industrial processes and franchises, as well as original films and manuscripts. Source: The World Bank, Royalty & License Fees (Receipts & Payments). Data Source: IMF, Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files. 7

10 Rights AND Rents Why Canada must harness its intellectual property resources The payment made by a manufacturer to a patentee for the privilege of using the patent process is usually termed, in commercial language, a rent; and under the same head must be ranked all extraordinary qualities of body and mind. Nassau William Senior British economist ( ) Canada s failure to consider IP retention a top priority usually affects companies too young to be widely known such as Alias Research, a Toronto start-up snagged by a Silicon Valley giant soon after its 3D software brought dinosaurs to life in Jurassic Park. But it also can apply when the company is a national icon and a leader in its field: Almost a decade elapsed between the bursting of the Internet bubble that halted the rise of Nortel Networks and its being forced into bankruptcy, but there was still little protest when the fallen telecom titan s treasure trove of patents developed with public assistance was broken up and sold off almost exclusively to outsiders. This lackadaisical attitude can go on no longer: IP is now a crucial asset, and its ownership has become pivotal to corporations; in some sectors their ultimate value is essentially that of their IP. The past two decades have seen a dramatic rise in worldwide royalties and licensing fees, from $30 billion U.S. in 1990 to $160 billion in Fuelled by borderless information flows and unprecedented labour mobility, global competition in the knowledge economy grows increasingly fierce. Blessed with a highly skilled work force and strong public financing for research and development, Canada has some clear advantages but has failed to take full advantage of them because its leaders, while professing to be in hot pursuit of innovation, have ignored an economic fundamental. Whether it involves a better way to squeeze bitumen from the oil sands or a revolutionary new medical device that can make the difference between life and death, innovation can be put to good use only by those who have the right to do so. Intellectual property is, like real estate, either owned or rented. Only possession can guarantee control, and thus economic success, yet Canada is fast becoming a nation of renters. Competitors bring in billions by selling or leasing their IP, while in Canada we run a stunning technology deficit no less than $4.5 billion U.S. in 2009 that is among the largest shortfalls in the industrial world, according to the World Bank. How a country that invests in research and development as heavily as Canada does can end up spending so much to acquire technology from others is the subject of this report. Countries around the world have moved to make the accumulation of IP a cornerstone of their innovation policies. Canada should do the same, and quickly. If we are to transform this nation we should become hewers of patents and drawers of rents. 8

11 Introduction Why IP matters 1 The race for agricultural productivity will define the 21st century. Regions that can grow crops efficiently in the toughest environmental conditions will become hubs of innovation and employment. Innovative students of agricultural chemistry, industrial ecology and food security will build the great corporations of the future. 1 Our ability to address energy demand using more efficient and cleaner sources also requires new technologies. These are innovations which will redefine the global economy. 1 Boundaries are being blurred between traditional sectors, such as nanotechnology and forestry, software and medicine. Building a true knowledge economy requires a sophisticated IP strategy. 1 IP is critical to helping Canadian companies compete on the global stage. At the same time, it is an important international trade issue. 1 Collaborating to produce IP fosters academic and industrial research and development. 1 Venture-capital firms and angel investors are a growing part of the innovation ecosystem and consider IP an essential ingredient. They want to work with companies that have solid IP that can be marketed to large industrial or technological enterprises. Who is leading the way 1 Britain, Australia, South Africa, China, and Korea have all developed robust IP policies in recent years, and interest is so great among developing nations that the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) received no fewer than 30 requests last year from countries seeking assistance. While Canada has reviewed its copyright policy and drafted new legislation, it has paid little attention to many other critical components of IP: patents, trademarks, designs and geographic designations (why champagne is only champagne when it comes from the Champagne region). 1 In Asia and Europe, IP is viewed as part of the new financial frontier. Japan and Korea have launched sovereign patent-investment funds to compete with foreign rivals, and European countries are banding together to do the same. 1 Multinationals such as General Electric and Nike have become more open to collaborative arrangements that involve sharing their IP, a trend Canadian companies should observe and learn from. Why protecting it is important 1 IP turns knowledge into a commercial asset. People defend it, sell it, rent it, trade it, pool it and share it. Today, more money is spent by corporations on intangibles than on physical assets. This new currency is of great strategic importance so great that patent proliferation and litigation have led to a virtual IP arms race. 1 IP is easily exported, and losing control of it means an irretrievable loss of jobs and a strategic brain drain if inventors follow their inventions. 9

13 01 The Issue Canada has seen no fewer than five major reports in as many years on how to meet the innovation challenge, and in 2010, the federal government convened a special panel to address the topic anew. But intellectual property rights, and specifically patents, have remained of secondary interest to Canadians even though other countries have national IP policies integrated into their innovation frameworks. This lack of focus is bound to dull Canada s competitive edge. copy right [kop-ee-rahyt] noun In the simplest terms, the right to copy any original, dramatic, musical, artistic and literary works (including computer programs), as well as performances, communication signals and sound recordings. In general, only the copyright owner, often the creator, is allowed to produce or reproduce the work or to permit anyone else to do so for (in Canada) 50 years from the end of the year in which the creator/ owner dies. Concern for IP has lost traction in Canada. To many Canadians, intellectual property has become what a senior official at OECD describes as a dirty couplet. It is a description applied to the growing global war over patents, which is both divisive, pitting users and businesses against each other in the digital environment, as described by an official with the Geneva-based International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development, and a source of tension between developed and developing nations. So while innovation is consensual, he added, intellectual property can be controversial. At best, the attitude in Canada has been indifference. The IP generated by innovative companies has been undervalued, and protracted debates within the pharmaceutical industry, along with international pressure for stronger Canadian copyright enforcement, have distracted policymakers. The battle over drug patents pitting generic producers, which argue that Canada needs affordable medicine, against big brands, which argue they need patent protection to underwrite their research and development have gone on so long that they have distorted the prism through which IP is viewed. For that reason, few people realize the full extent to which Canada has influenced patent protection abroad while defending its own rights at home. Historically, Canada has played two quite different roles at first targeted for stronger enforcement, but later taking the lead in changing the way compliance is carried out by the World Trade Organization. The North American Free Trade Agreement and the first phase of the World Trade Organization s Agreement on Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) began with a well-documented push by the United States, followed by Japan and Europe, to link intellectual property with WTO trade rules. Canada s vibrant generic industry was 11

14 Rights AND Rents Why Canada must harness its intellectual property resources It is evident that Canada should give serious consideration to the possibility of abandoning the continued maintenance of a patent system in any form. Working Paper on Patent Law Revision Canadian Department of Consumer and Corporate Affairs, 1976 Canada s approach to IP is frozen in time... Remarkably, it has never conducted a review of its IP policy and practices that went beyond copyright issues. targeted in the 1980s, and eventually patent protection was extended from 18 years to 20. But there is a little-known epilogue to the story: While Canada promised to meet its minimum obligations under the TRIPS agreement, its tough-minded interpretations of the regulatory process led to two international trade disputes that are now considered instrumental in reframing the WTO s approach to compliance. According to Antony Taubman, head of its global IP issues division, the world body took note of the Canadian experience and no longer attempts a one-size-fits-all approach. Daniel Gervais, a Montreal-born IP expert at Vanderbilt University Law School, says TRIPS has adopted a new, more pragmatic approach that views enforcement within a system that will gradually enable innovators in all countries to reach the market by means that are geared to their different national and regional capabilities and endowments. Canada s contribution has made it friends in Geneva and in the developing world, but its regulatory approach has ruffled feathers among major trading partners and created new diplomatic challenges. For example, U.S. agencies have argued for stronger enforcement at Canadian borders to deter the influx of pirated goods. As part of its name and shame approach, the U.S. Trade Representative s 2011 Watch List identified Canada as a priority, along with such notorious sources of counterfeit products as China, Russia and Pakistan. As well, weak IP enforcement is cited as a leading reason Canada has been locked out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a major Asia-Pacific regional trade agreement being negotiated between the U.S. and eight partners. Canada s approach to IP is frozen in time. The last major modification to the Patent Act was in 2001, and the last time Canada signed an international IP treaty was in Remarkably, it has never conducted a review of its IP policy and practices that went beyond copyright issues. Protracted battles among various stakeholders have left Canada without a framework policy that can address economic sectors that require attention. 12

15 C h a p t e r 0 1 Why Canada Needs a Plan (Now) Case In Point The Nortel Predicament At its zenith, Toronto-based Nortel Networks was the jewel in Canada s technological crown. The world s leading manufacturer of telecommunications equipment, it boasted 94,500 employees here and abroad, and accounted for one-third of the value of all companies listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Yet when it plunged into bankruptcy protection in January, 2009, amid the worst economic downturn in decades, the nation seemed to shrug its shoulders, and the fallen giant has been sold off in bits and pieces for a fraction of what was worth just a decade ago. Nortel dates from 1895, when Bell Telephone Co. of Canada turned its manufacturing division into Northern Electric, a freestanding company that proved to be an invention machine, creating or acquiring such innovations as the mechanical switch that made touch-tone dialling and direct long-distance calls possible. Perhaps its most important development was another switch, this one digital, that allowed such now-familiar services as call waiting. Building on its global success, Northern Electric expanded aggressively during the telecommunications boom of the 1990s, becoming Nortel Networks in But when the bubble burst in 2000 and customers stopped buying, Nortel unravelled rapidly. Before the decade was out, a company once worth almost $400 billion had filed for protection from its creditors, saying it would cease operations and sell off its assets. With no federal bailout on offer, the last chief executive officer, who had been recruited from the U.S. in a last-ditch effort to halt the downfall, estimated that Nortel s intellectual property would fetch perhaps $700 million. But when Ottawa, despite its stated support for innovation, rejected pleas to keep the IP in Canada, foreign bidders swooped in, paying almost $2 billion for the lion s share. Then a final pool of 6,000 patents and applications for wireless-phone technology proved to be an even better barometer of Nortel s true worth. It drew an initial bid of $900 million from Google Inc., and eventually sold for five times that ($4.5 billion) to a consortium of the online search giant s rivals. Conditioned to seeing Nortel as a colossal failure, average Canadians could only scratch their heads in amazement. 13

16 Rights AND Rents Why Canada must harness its intellectual property resources Lesson Learned Canadian leaders pay attention when foreign buyers show interest in something tangible. Ottawa weighed in when an Australian multinational tried to take over Saskatchewan s potash business and when the London and Toronto stock exchanges tried to merge. But the natural resource of the future intellectual property fails to merit the same attention, so Canadian firms may soon find themselves locked in battle with technology that was created here with the help of their own government, or paying dearly to use it themselves. Approaches Most developed nations have carved out a strategy, recognizing that a dynamic and carefully conceived IP policy is vital to their prosperity. Because it takes many forms, intellectual property is complex and ever-changing. Wise governments undertake regular IP reviews, conducted by independent experts, and most developed nations have carved out a strategy, recognizing that a dynamic and carefully conceived IP policy is vital to their prosperity. Australia and South Africa have established national principles for IP that is produced by publicly financed research, ensuring access to best practices for identifying, protecting and managing it. The U.S. has appointed an enforcement co-ordinator whose mission is to combat IP crimes and seek tougher sentences for counterfeiting. And because of the 30 requests it has received in the past year alone for help in drafting IP policy, the World Intellectual Property Organization is building templates that can be customized to meet an individual nation s needs while staying true to the TRIPS agreement. 14

17 C h a p t e r 0 1 Why Canada Needs a Plan (Now) A Role Model Britain Stands on Guard In recent years, the British government has commissioned two reports to grapple with IP. The first was conducted in 2006 by former Financial Times editor Andrew Gowers to provide explicit recognition both of the growing importance of IP and the challenges brought by the changing economic environment. His final report concentrated on enforcing IP rights, reducing the costs for business to acquire and litigate these rights, and improving the balance and flexibility of IP in the digital age. Rather than sit on the shelf, many of its 54 recommendations were adopted, Britain s national patent agency was transformed into the Intellectual Property Office to reflect its new focus, and an independent Strategic Advisory Board for IP Policy was created with an annual research budget of 500,000. Even so, the rapidly changing landscape prompted Prime Minister David Cameron to announce another review in late 2010, this time led by Ian Hargreaves, professor of digital economy at Cardiff University. Five months later he offered 10 key recommendations, foremost among them a call to halt the continued formation of patent thickets dense webs of patents that can impede innovation and commercialization. James Boyle, an expert in IP law at Duke University who advised the review, noted in The Financial Times that traditional patents work well for stand-alone innovations, such as a particular drug developed to treat a particular disease. But more technical fields move forward largely on the basis of sequential innovation, which often causes patent congestion and punishing lawsuits. Professor Boyle called on Britain to cut through the thicket problem by resolving to seize the leadership role and become the centre for a frictionless, radically simplified, licensing market. This advice is equally applicable to Canada. Without fundamental reforms or defensive strategies, Canadian companies are likely to be more vulnerable than ever to the litigious nature of the technology world. 15

18 Rights AND Rents Why Canada must harness its intellectual property resources Recommendations A leader who is strong, visible, dynamic and completely familiar with the IP landscape, this czar should be granted a clear mandate that includes the power to conduct a comprehensive review. 1 The federal government should create a new central office for intellectual property with a steering committee that reports directly to the prime minister. This office would develop policy and legislation with the goal of promoting innovation, providing information and offering services related to IP. Currently, jurisdiction over IP is divided between no fewer than four departments Industry, Foreign Affairs, Heritage and Justice. 1 The new national IP office should have a steering committee to advise the prime minister directly on policy and legislation. It also should devise its own corporate strategy to execute a national vision encompassing all sectors of the economy. The Canadian Intellectual Property Office, which currently administers IP, lacks the ability to address directly the shortcomings of an outdated policy framework it is powerless to change. It also has no mandate to provide services, training or expertise to small companies. By contrast, the European Patent Office has more influence in determining the policy it must administer and the procedures it must follow. 1 The office also should have a leader who is strong, visible, dynamic and completely familiar with the IP landscape. This czar should be granted a clear mandate that includes the power to conduct a comprehensive review to maximize IP policy that best strikes a balance between meeting Canada s international obligations and serving the national interest. 1 Even with the central office in place, IP policy should be re-evaluated on a regular basis, to help keep Canada globally competitive. 16

19 C h a p t e r 0 1 Why Canada Needs a Plan (Now) Footnote Canada on the World Stage In 2009, Canada and the European Union began to negotiate a Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) designed to forge stronger ties governing goods and services, investments, government procurement and regulatory co-operation. The 2012 deadline for a settlement is fast approaching, but intellectual property has emerged as a major roadblock, especially with regard to the pharmaceutical industry. Key changes proposed by the EU include: 1 Longer patent protection: Up to five extra years if a product has been subjected to a lengthy approval process. 1 More data exclusivity: Canada would be required to provide at least 10 years of data protection to all pharmaceutical products. The eight it now allows apply only to drugs that are deemed to be truly innovative. 1 Geographical distinction: The EU also wants increased protection for products considered distinctive because of where they originate plus a special agency to monitor it. 1 Border controls: The agreement would allow customs officials to detain imported drugs if a domestic producer suspects patent infringement. 1 Watchdog: The EU has suggested creating an institution to promote the new IP regimen while making sure that it is implemented. The EU is a key trading partner Canadian exports to Europe were $49.2 billion in 2010, vs. $55.3 billion in imports and CETA represents a major opportunity to improve relations. But it seems reasonable to ask how Canada can negotiate an IP agreement of this magnitude when it has yet to establish what its own priorities and objectives are. 17

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